The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-04-23
Cleveland on Deck.

zine correspondent of the Cincinnati
Eisnqnirer telegraphs TO his paper
There is no more interesting topic in
EWashington than Mr.. Cleveland's
probable attitude toward the next
presidential encounter.
The most interesting and best au-
.thenticated gossip as to Mr.. Cleve.
lands position is that growing out of
the recent visit of Smith M. Weed
and others to this city. A gentleman
who had superior means Of knowing
what took place at the conference be-
tween Weed, Secretary Whitney and
Others, on the one part and the Pres
|ident on the other, tells the story
substantially as follows:
"Weed, Whitney and other New
sYorkers visited the President, and
sEsa.v plainly asked him what he in
tended to do with regard to his re-
election, They informed him if he
expected to be in the field for re-
nomination he must use the patron
age II that end; that if he did not
employ the political forces in the
New York Custom house for his own
good. lis State would be captured by
GoverrDr Hill. They wanted to
know What they should do. They
didn't want to throw away their
work on a man who would not use
the splendid means at his own COM
mand, inthe way it had always been
used in plitics. Mr.. Cleveland lis
tened to What his visitors had to say,
in the manner of a man upon whom
the truth was gradually dawning,
and finally gave his consent to the
mild and inoffensiye use of the pa
tronage tC renew his Administration.
The question is, where can the mild
and inoffensive' line be drawn?
eff the managing politicians get
the matter in their own hands the
presumption is that the line will be
obliterated,
"After Mr.. Cleveland had relaxed
form his stiff-necked Indifference to
party interests far enough to allow
the patronage in New York to be
used in his behalf he was shocked to
learn that he had been used against
his own interests in Pennsylvania.
He was plainly notified that Sam
Randall was grabbing everything in
sight in the Keystone State, and
using the Presidents appointments
to create boom for himself in the
next National Convention, or at least
an element of detection that would
go far to make Mr.. Cleveland's re-
nomination impossible.
'The delegation invited Mr.. Cleve-
land to a consideration of the fact
that Mr., Randall had dictated most
of the important appointments in
Pennsylvania, and instead of direct
ing them in a political sense in the
interest of Grover Cleveland he was
organizing them into an army with
banners and lungs for Samuel j.
Randall.
"The President was alarmed at the
situation, and sent for Colonel Will
liam l.. Scott, the affluent Congress
man from Pennsylvania, and made
inquiry of him as to the probable
truth of the story about Pennsylva-
mia which had been given him. Col
onel Scott confirmed it in every par
ticular and emphasized it.
"These conferences resulted in a
combination to use the patronage
and secure the denomination of Mr..
Cleveland. 1t, of course, includes
Smith M. Weed and Secretary Whit
ney. Solicitor General jerks is one
of the chief factors in the enterprise,
and is important as the man who
will have the appointment of Elec-
tion Marshals. Among the Pennsyl-
vanias who are in the combination
are Colonel Scott; Editor Mcclure,
who is said to stand next to Scott in
influential relations with the Presi-
dent ex-senator Wallace Chauncey
F. Black. last years Democratic cam
didate for Governor Ex-Governor
Pattison, Congressman Souden and
ex-Representative Mutchler. These
gentlemen are enlisted for the Cleve-
land campaign, and will handle the
offices with great skill, coming their
own definition of the moderation
which the President stipulates.
"Results were quickly apparent in
Pennsylvania. Harrisburg was as
tonished by the appointment to the
postmastership of man wholly
divorced from the Randall following,
and the leaving out of man who
had all the Endorsements and who
was supposed to have no opposition
of consequence. Next came the ap-
pointment of Governor Pattison to
the Pacific Railway Investigating
Commission.